Soul Society North Branch
| ruler = All-Father | administration = Nobility | military = Unknown | currency = Unknown | tblColour = | textColour = #FFFFFF }} is a spiritual dimension that manages the flow of souls. Unlike its eastern counterpart, which seemingly exists as a spiritual counterpart to Japan, and its western counterpart, which exists as a spiritual counterpart to , the north branch of Soul Society exists as a spiritual counterpart to . It further differentiates itself from its counterparts in that it is far more focused on combating Giants rather than dealing with either Hollows or Dragons. Overview Soul Society North Branch is a reclusive branch of Soul Society. It has little contact with their the eastern or western branches and is rumored to be heavily distrusting of either. Unlike the western Soul Society, which is on the of , the northern branch is more akin to its eastern Soul Society and exists in its own dimension. Within the spiritual realms, it is situated to the north of its counterparts, even though its Human World is situated to the south of , where Soul Society West Branch is located. A dimension-between-dimensions, similar to, and perhaps even an off-shoot of, the separates Midgard (the Human World) from this branch of Soul Society. This dimension is known as . According to Raian Getsueikirite, much like the Dangai, Yggdrasil connects the worlds together and allows passage to the Human World, as well as Hell. It is unknown if can be reached through this dimension, but, as Raian states that "all worlds" are connected to it, then it is likely. The north branch consists of , which is its counterpart to the eastern , and , which is its counterpart to the Rukongai. Asgard is a large, castle-like city, which is where the government and military of the north branch are situated. The Fólkvangr is a large expanse of mountains and fields beyond the walls of Asgard containing villages for souls who have died. Raian has noted that the northern Soul Society is "colder" than its eastern counterpart. Terminology Soul Society North Branch uses different terminology from either the Soul Society East Branch or Soul Society West Branch to refer to commonalities between the two. For instance: * The Human World is referred to as because it is the world between the spiritual realm (Soul Society) and Hell. * The dimension of Hell is referred to as , or simply . Walls of Ice Soul Society North Branch is completely surrounded by three massive . These three walls protect it from the Giants: spiritual beings, similar to Hollows and Dragons, which devour souls. It is the job of the North Branch's Shinigami, known as Einherjar, to prevent Giants from breaching the walls and to keep them out of the human world. The ice that composes the wall is made of a particularly dense that give it properties similar to . The three walls divide the North Branch (more specifically the Fólkvangr) into three districts. These districts, and their walls, are detailed below: #The first wall, known as the , surrounds Asgard and its attended lands. The lands inside the walls are Giant-free and are inhabited by the military and governing officials of the North Branch. #The second wall has no known name. Residents simply know it as . The majority of the Fólkvangr's inhabitants live between the first wall and the second wall, and its lands are ruled by three of Soul Society North Branch's great houses. Giant attacks are rare here. #The third wall, known as , is the outermost wall and contains all of the North Branch within it. The land within it is the most vast, but, despite being inhabited by four of the North Branch's great houses, it is the most sparsely populated. The lands between the third and second walls are known to be the most at-risk of Giant attacks. The lands beyond the three walls are known as because it is populated by Giants. These lands are considered extremely dangerous, even for the military of the North Branch. Some of the worst criminals from the northern Soul Society are left out in Jotunheim to be devoured by Giants. According to Raian Getsueikirite, a large exists at the edge of Jotunheim that can take a traveler to the eastern or western Soul Society branches. Government All-Father While the three worlds are maintained by the , whose dimension, the , lies at the very center of the spiritual realm, the north branch of Soul Society does not consider him to be its monarch. Instead, they head the words of the who acts as their king. In addition to acting as the ruling monarch of the north branch, the All-Father fills a similar role to the of the : serving as the realm's commander-in-chief of the military. He is the strongest spiritual being in the north branch, though he is very reclusive. His will is carried out by the other leaders of the military, so few ever truly see or hear the All-Father. According to legend, his abilities are very similar to the Kidō found in the east. Nobility Like eastern Soul Society, the north branch also has noble houses. These powerful families are known as the , of which there are known to be seven. Each Great House possesses a fortress in the Fólkvangr and are charged with protecting the souls around their holds. They also supply the majority of the armed forces of the northern branch and, as a result, hold considerable political clout throughout the north branch's realm. Ultimately, however, they still answer to the All-Father. Military Einherjar The were the counterparts of the Shinigami, as souls who were charged to defend the Human World and maintain the balance, as well as the organizational counterparts of both the and the . Unlike the Gotei 13, the Einherjar were divided into seven divisions, each led by a lord rather than a captain. The souls who made up this spiritual army were said to be equal to the Gotei 13 in every way and were feared as dangerous warriors across the worlds. Sekisenshi The are a specialized division of the Einherjar charged with patrolling and defending the three walls of ice. They also have the authority to allow souls through the gates or to bar them entry. Valkyries The were the twelve most powerful Einherjar in Soul Society's northern branch. Traditionally, they were all female, though there were known to occasionally be male members. The Valkyries were the personal bodyguards of the All-Father and the defenders of Asgard. They also had more authority than the Einherjar. It was believed that each one had a power comparable to a member of the . Behind the Scenes Soul Society North Branch is clearly intended to be an adaptation of within the context of the spiritual world and rules of the universe. Trivia * Despite being the north branch of Soul Society, the geographic region it governs in the Human World is actually south of Soul Society West Branch. Category:Soul Society North Branch